1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to protectors and more particularly pertains to a fish hook protector for at least partially encasing a fishing hook to prevent accidental engagement with the hook.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of protectors is known in the prior art. More specifically, protectors heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of shielding a fishing hook are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
For example, a fish hook guard is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,199 which encloses and shields the sharp barb portion of a fish hook. The enclosure consists of a base portion with a radially extending slot which extends from the outer edge of the base portion to a location immediately past a center point in the base portion and a corresponding cover portion which has openings for drainage of moisture from the fish hook guard. The base portion and the cover portion are preferably pivotally connected together and either may include at least one vertically extending projection which assists in orienting the fish hook within the fish hook guard.
A fish hook protector is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,216 which includes a plate-like center part having opposite side edges which are parallel, an elongated gripping part which extends along one of the opposite sides and has an elongated channel for gripping leg portion of the fish hook, and an elongated shielding part which extends along the other of the opposite sides and has an elongated channel for covering at least the sides of a curved portion of the fish hook whose leg portion is received in the elongated gripping part.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,433 which discloses a fish hook safety device for safely and securely holding a hook whether such hook is a single or gang hook while the hook is attached to a fishing line or stored in a tackle box. The device has a sloping interior surface such that the barbed and pointed ends of a hook rest on the sloping surface. The device is operable to accommodate a variety of hooks of different sizes and shapes.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a fish hook protector of unitary construction which includes a cylindrical side wall having a top wall extending across the top end of the side wall, and a channel extending through both the side wall and the top wall which allow the protector to be biased apart along the channel and placed over a hook when such hook is attached to a fishing line. Furthermore, none of the known prior art protectors teach or suggest a fish hook protector including a cap for enclosing the hook within the protector, clips for attaching the protector to a fishing pole, and an oil-saturated foam liner for applying a rust-preventative oil to the associated hook.
In these respects, the fish hook protector according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of at least partially encasing a fishing hook to prevent accidental engagement with the hook.